Post Workout
Shakes, Key to Muscle Growth
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During a hardcore workout nutrients are
drained from your body, and muscle wasting hormones are off the
charts! Both of these factors are destructive to your dreams of
massive muscle growth. The main goal of a post workout shake is
to replenish the fuels lost from your workout and to stop
muscle breakdown. Most importantly to provide the fuel you need
for massive muscle growth.
Water & Electrolyte
Replenishment
A dehydrated muscle is a weak muscle. Your ability to crank out
heavy weight will severely suffer if you are dehydrated. Proper
hydration is critical to gaining size! Another vital variable
is electrolyte replenishment. Especially the replenishment of
the electrolyte sodium. If your post workout shake is lacking
sodium, re-hydration is dramatically delayed. This is obviously
not conducive for growth, or performance. Your post-workout
shake must contain both proper amounts of water and sodium.
Glycogen
Replenishment
Glycogen is the storage of the carbohydrate
glucose. As exercise intensity increases, your body has a
greater reliance on carbohydrates; particularly, muscle
glycogen.
Resistance training is highly dependent on glycogen stores.
This is why glycogen replenishment is an essential component of
post exercise nutrition. You need to consume both carbohydrates
and proteins after exercise to optimize glycogen replenishment.
Concerning which carbohydrates to consume, a 50/50 combination
of Dextrose and Maltodextrin is optimal for glycogen
replenishment. You should consume your carbohydrates along with
Whey Protein for maximum results.
Reducing Catabolic
Hormones
All bodybuilders have a sworn mortal
enemy—cortisol. This hormone acts to breakdown muscle tissue,
and creates a catabolic environment, contrary to growth.
The most effective way to decrease these catabolic hormones
is:
- To consume an easily digested
carbohydrate
- Stack it with an easily digested
source of protein
Protein Synthesis &
Degradation
Skeletal muscle protein synthesis can be defined as the
formation of whole muscle proteins, from individual amino
acids. Protein degradation can be defined as the breakdown of
proteins, into individual amino acids and peptides.
Muscle growth is ultimately the difference
between protein degradation and protein synthesis. Therefore,
we want to both minimize protein degradation, and maximize
protein synthesis.
Consuming protein is generally responsible for enhancing
protein synthesis; while carbohydrates play an intricate role
in decreasing protein degradation. The role carbohydrates play
in protein synthesis is in debate. However, it appears that
when easily digested carbohydrates are accompanied with
proteins, the enhanced effect from these nutrients increases
muscle growth.
The Window of Opportunity
There is a short window of opportunity post
exercise, in which glycogen replenishment and protein synthesis
is optimized. If you wait to long to consume your post workout
shake, this window of opportunity will be gone. If
carbohydrates are not consumed in a timely manner post
exercise, glycogen replenishment is hindered. If you do not
consume protein immediately after a workout, performance,
protein synthesis, and ultimately, muscular hypertrophy, will
be delayed.
Protein Intake
Post workout, you must consume 0.22 grams of protein per pound
of body weight no matter if you are cutting or
bulking.
- Optimal Carbohydrate
Intake
- What's your goal?
Bulk-up:
5 grams of carbohydrates per every 10 pounds of lean body
bodyweight.
Cut-up:
2.5 grams of carbohydrates per 10 pounds of lean body
weight.
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